24 Reasons I hate Christmas
by VampireRide
Summary: I'm Nick Walker and I Hate Christmas. And my first reason begins on the first day. December 1st. Find out my 24 reasons and why there isn't a 25th. (This story is basically a countdown to christmas.)
1. December 1st

**December 1st**

A thin white blanket of snow suffocated the what-used-to-be lush green grass of my lawn. The trees swayed, from the heavy white ice that clung to the thin branches. They seemed to be crying out- begging someone to get it off of them. Sighing, I pulled on my leather jacket and stopped staring out the glass door to the winter horrorland and walked out into the biting cold.

Wind whipped around my face, tugging my hair in all directions as I walked up to my old, rusty truck that used to be white. "Hey, Baby. Up for a drive?" I asked the inanimate object as I brushed the horrid snow off the hood and scraped the ghostly ice off the windshield.

I walked around to the driver's seat and pulled on the handle, expecting my door to pop open. Yeah right. That didn't happen. Instead, the door clung to the rest of the car, as if pleading for me not to open it up and make it colder than it already was. "Come on, Baby, don't do this to me." I mumbled, yanking harder and harder on the handle until finally, with one super strong pull, it opened. Only, I wasn't expecting it so I found myself down on the ice-covered road, back against the asphalt.

Groaning, I got to my feet, brushed myself off, and went to get in my truck, only to find the impact of the door swinging open had caused it to slam shut. Well, my day was off to a great start.

After wrestling with the door for another few moments I finally got it open without falling on my butt and climbed into the car, sitting down on the cool leather seat and slamming the door shut.

Holding my breath, I turned the key in the ignition and by some miracle my truck actually started. I patted the dashboard. "Thanks, Baby. We're just gonna go for a short trip, I promise." I said, before pulling out onto the road and driving off.

…

Thirty minutes later I parked in the visitor's section of the hospital and walked in. "Mr. Walker." One nurse greeted as I walked down the halls. I nodded in response and kept going until I reached her room. Taking a deep breath, I walked in. "Hey Grandma." I said, automatically plastering a smile to my face at the person who had raised me since I was seven.

"Hey Nicky." She said and I grinned brighter even though she sounded worse. It was so out of character for me, but I couldn't help it. My Grandma always cheered me up.

"So, how are you feeling?" I asked, walking over to the bed and leaning against it.

"I've had better days." She croaked out and grabbed my hand. I squeezed hers reassuringly.

"Don't worry, you are in the best possible care- I should know, I practically grew up in this place." I joked, thinking back to all my sports injuries, stupidity injuries, and my bike accident. Grandma wheezed out a laugh that faded into a cough and I quickly got her a glass of water.

"Need anything?" I asked once she had drank half of it.

"Oh no, Nick. Why don't you go have some fun tonight with your friends? You don't honestly wanna stay with an old lady on a Saturday do you?" Grandma asked and I laughed.

"Of course I do." _Cause today could be your last. _I didn't say it, but we both knew that's what I was thinking. The doctors were trying their best, but they also said it would be a miracle if she made it past New Years.

"Nicolas, I'll be fine. You need to go one day without worrying about me. Why don't you go on a date with that Lissa girl? Didn't you say she might be the one?" Grandma asked, elbowing me suggestively. I rolled my eyes and smirked.

"Grandma, Lissa broke up with me last month. You know that." I pointed out.

"Well, she made a darn good casserole." Grandma said, and I laughed.

"Yeah, but I loved her cooking, not her." I muttered, looking down at my black converse.

"I know Sweetie, but why don't you find another girl? You were a lot happier when you had someone to wake up to." Grandma told me, and I sighed. Here we go again! She always found a way to do this to me. Bring up the whole 'I'm not as happy single' thing.

"Grandma, you're the only girl in my life- and I'd like it to stay like that." I added.

"Nick, we both know I'm not gonna-"

"No! You're going to make it through this! You have to!" I interrupted, not realizing how much my voice rose. "You're the only family I got. I need you." Grandma didn't stop my rant, just ruffled my hair when I was done and smiled sadly.

"You don't need me, Darling. You're seventeen and you found your own place. You're obviously getting enough to eat, you have a steady job, and you wouldn't let me help you out anyways. You're too independent for that." Grandma explained and hugged me. I took a shuddering breath, feeling tears in my eyes. We both knew what that meant. Grandma knew she was gonna die soon- she didn't even have hope for herself anymore. But I was never going to lose my hope, no matter how small it was.

Grandma pulled back and grinned at me. "So, how are your grades?" She asked. I groaned and pulled my report card out of my pocket. In all honesty, I was top of my class, but as far as everyone else was concerned, I was a D student.

"All high A's. Now this belongs in a frame." Grandma said, looking up and smiling at me, smoothing back my hair. "Oh sweetie, I really want you to be happy, even when I'm gone."

"I know. Look, I have to go, but I promise to be back tomorrow." I said, glancing at a clock. I kiss Grandma's cheek and hugged her one last time. "Love you!" I called before walking out the door.

"Love you, Nick!" She called right before I shut the door, and then ran off towards my truck.

Of course it wouldn't start. That would be too easy. "Baby! Come on!" I snapped, patting the dashboard while I kept turning the key in the ignition. "If I'm late for work one more time I'm fired." I muttered, and as if that convinced it, my truck started up.

...

I ran into the cafe, hopping over the counter and grabbing the black waist apron, tying it around my waist and praying Jeb hadn't noticed I was late.

"Hey Nick!" He called right before I headed off to a table. _You are so dead. _I thought to myself as I spun around, only to find a very familiar, beautiful girl standing next to Jeb.

"You remember Max don't you? My niece? Anyways, she's here for the holidays and I expect you to show her how this place runs. Oh and, I should fire you, but I won't because I know what you're going through." Jeb added.

Max grinned at me, flipping her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder subconsciously. I smiled weakly at my ex-girlfriend. Long distance sucked, but we'd made it work, up until I went out with Lissa, and then everything got really shaky and well, Max ended it the same day Lissa did.

Jeb scowled at me and walked off into his office. Max dropped her grin and grabbed a waist apron, tying the strings together and glaring at me. "I still hate you." Max muttered, snatching my notepad and pencil.

"And I still love you." I whispered as she walked off, too far away to hear my quiet voice.

_I hated that it was Christmas Time, and Max still hated me._

**I don't own MR**

**This is going to be a 25 chapter story. A chapter for each day till christmas. I know I shouldn't cause of all my other stories- but they're just short chapters and it's kinda like a count down to Christmas!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	2. December 2nd

**December 2nd**

The next morning, I woke up to my old, rusty, _old _two story home that I inherited from my parents. Thankfully, it was paid off, along with my Baby who sat in the driveway faithfully. I groaned and stretched, wishing I could stay under my black covers forever. Unfortunately, I couldn't. I had to go see my Grandma, yell at the doctors for not trying hard enough, then try and get Max to at least look at me. I had a hard day ahead me.

Might as well start it off with a nice, relaxing, hot shower- yeah right. Halfway through the water turned icy cold. I screamed and jumped out, my hair soapy and my body soaked. "Screw you, water company." I mumbled, having a stare down with the freezing water as it smacked against the shower floor. Do I go back in- or use the sink? Well, I definitely wasn't comfortable with standing in my kitchen washing myself so I took a breath and stepped back in.

…

As if my morning wasn't bad enough, halfway to the hospital my truck started to splutter and cough. "Oh no, Baby, I'm almost to the gas station." I whined, but unfortunately, that seemed to only make it worse. I sighed and pulled off to the side of the road, slamming the door shut behind me when I got out so hard the glass of the driver's window spider-webbed.

"Sorry." I muttered and opened up the hood, and immediately turned my head away as I coughed and choked on black smoke. How the hell did that happen? Then, as the smoke faded, I noticed a dead raccoon wedged between the engine and ugh! The smell! I didn't even know or care what it was stuck between as I lifted my shirt above my nose and pulled my hoodie sleeve over my hand before tugging the rotten animal out and tossing it aside.

Only, to my horror, the head was still by the engine. I groaned and began to think that today couldn't get any worse as I yanked the head out by an ear and tossed it away too, trying not to puke. Of course, I was wrong.

Some idiot sped by so fast the tires threw up a pile of slush that drenched me to the bone. I stood there, with a smoking car, shivering as I tried to get the image of the dead raccoon out of my head. I was miserable and alone.

And my day just kept getting better as some kids from school past by. They laughed. "Hey look! It's Emo boy soaking up his inner turmoil!" Someone shouted.

"I bet he killed that headless raccoon!" Someone called from the backseat. I just stared down at my shoes, muttering to myself before walking around the truck and climbing into the bed, pulling out a toolbox that I knew I would need, and a can of gasoline for emergencies- like burning myself to end all the pain of this month. If only...

I sighed and poured it all in the tank, then got to work trying to fix up whatever had made it smoke. I pulled my hoodie sleeves up and leaned over the engine, examining it since my day couldn't possibly get any worse- I really need to stop saying that.

"Need some help there, Stranger?" A beautiful voice that I was in love with asked.

"Like you would help me." I muttered bitterly.

"So, you never told me why you cheated on me." Max said conversationally as she hip-bumped me out of the way and took a look at my piece-of-junk car.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." I huffed, and she yanked a cord out of my car.

"Max, don't tell me that's my-"

"Sure is. Now talk Mr. Silent, or I'll cut it." And all too late I realized she had my wire cutters.

"Why do you wanna know?" I asked, looking back over my engine with a curiosity I didn't know I could have.

"Because I thought you loved me, Fang." I cringed at the nickname she had given me when we first met. We were seven. God, that was so long ago I couldn't even remember why she had nicknamed me Fang.

"I was a hormonal seventeen year old boy, Max! What did you want me to do?"

"I don't know! And you're still a seventeen year old hormonal boy!" Max added, slamming the hood down on my head. I yelped and clutched the back of it, groaning as I straightened up and looked her in the eye.

"You wanna know the truth? I never stopped loving you. Ever! Not for one second! They put me under so much pressure I almost drowned in it, Max! I deserved it when you dumped me, I deserved it when you threw that necklace I gave you over the bridge, I deserved that heartbreak then. But now? Now it's just a game to you!" I snapped.

Max stared at me in utter shock. "Fang, you broke my heart. What am I supposed to do? Let you back in? You know what the sad part is though? I knew you were gonna cheat on me. I just thought maybe I should give you the benefit of the doubt, maybe you cared enough about me. But obviously I'm not that worth it to you, huh?" Max spat and I stared down at the asphalt.

"It was eating me alive, Max. I tried to talk to you, but you were always busy with school." I whispered.

"You could've just told me it was important and I would've dropped everything. You made your choice Fang, have a nice life living with it." Max muttered, dropping the cable and walking off towards a parking lot with a few cars in it.

_I hate the coldness- and I'm not just talking about the slush._

**Now if you didn't understand what he meant by coldness, He's talking about how Max is treating him. Second Day! Only 23 more days till christmas!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	3. December 3rd

**December 3rd Monday**

Only three more weeks in this hellhole before Christmas break. I sat in the very back corner of my last period. James Griffins (Iggy to his friends) sat next to me, whispering about the hot babes at the party last Saturday. Also known as the first Saturday of a very Maxie Christmas. I snorted to myself at my own joke and continued to doodle on my notebook page while Mr. Ed went on about some sort of revolution- oh wait, this was Math class.

The revolution of numbers most likely. I just nodded every now and then as Iggy talked, not really listening as the lines I had been drawing suddenly became a shape- wings. Before I knew it I was so into the drawing I didn't even register someone calling my name till Iggy kicked my leg. I turned to flip him off when I heard:

"Mr. Walker, mind working out this problem?" Ed asked and I glanced at the board. Da hell were those letters doing in Math?

"Um sir, this isn't a relationship course." I said and everyone stared at me with confusion.

"What does that have to do with anything, Walker?" He asked.

"Well, I don't want to find Math's X. frankly, I think he just needs to get over her." I said and a lot of the class laughed while a few muttered about seeing that one on the internet already.

"well isn't that too bad, maybe you'll find your own X on the way to finding Math's." The teacher said, tossing his expo marker at me. I caught it and walked up to the board, purposely working it out in such a way that it made me look stupid. Some kids snickered, others looked confused as to why I had used addition, and the rest just didn't really care.

I handed the marker back to the teacher and walked back to my seat, plopping down next to Iggy and going back to my drawing. "Wrong Mr. walker. See me after class." Ed muttered before showing the class where I went wrong and the right way to solve it. I just continued to work on my drawing.

After I was finished I went back in and started shading it, Iggy whistled quietly. "Dude, you draw like a beast." He muttered. I glanced at him for a moment before setting my pencil down to look at the final product. An angel by the looks of it. Hovering over a hospital with her arms outspread. I sighed and ripped the page out of my notebook, causing people to glance towards me.

"Don't you dare throw that away." Iggy snapped.

"You want it?" I asked.

"No, but I know someone who will." Iggy said, glancing down at the hospital in the picture. I grinned and thought of Grandma. She'd love it! I smiled and was just about to thank Iggy when the bell rang.

I really tried to blend with the crowd and sneak out, but Mr. Ed caught me and made sure everyone was out of the classroom before he began his rant.

"Nicolas, you are so incredibly intelligent. I envy you for that. Why do you want the world to see you as stupid?" He asked, not ranting like I thought he would.

"My Grandma once said it's better for people to think your stupid and for you to know that your smart, than for people to know that your smart, and for you to think that you're stupid." I explained.

"Ah, the pressure." By this time it seemed everybody knew about my... problem.

"Yes, the pressure. Mr. Ed, no offense, but do I have to discuss this with you?" I asked, glancing at the door.

"No. you don't. By the way, how is your Grandmother doing?" He asked.

"Again, I don't wanna discuss this with you." I muttered before grabbing my book bag and storming out of the classroom. That nosey little... UGH!

…

After visiting Grandma I went off to work only to find Miss Cold and Heartless already there. I groaned and put on the waist apron, grabbing a notepad and pencil and walking over to a table. "What can I get you?" I asked, not looking up and realizing it was a group of kids from school.

"Gonna introduce yourself?" One asked and I glanced at him. Basketball player obviously. He wasn't as tall, as lean, or as muscular as me, but he was definitely a B-ball player by the looks of it.

"Hi, I'm Not In The Mood For Your Crap, what can I get you?" I said pleasantly. Out of the corner of my eye, Max smirked and seemed to approve of my tone as she walked past the table.

"Hey, Hottie!" One guy- most likely another basketball player- called.

"Hey Loser!" Max said back ecstatically before getting a bored expression on her face and pouring out a cup of coffee.

"Ouch. Tough crowd." The guy muttered.

"Alright, um, three Christmas specials, two hot chocolates, and one Peppermint Mocha. Got that, Nicky-poo?" One girl asked- and with horror I realized it was none other than Firehead herself.

"Sure did, oh and um Lissa, I think you got blood in your hair." I snapped, hating her. She was the reason for everything bad in my life- okay, not everything. But let's pretend.

Anyways, I walked off before she could reply, but I heard a nasally shriek and a few cuss words. Smirking to myself, I took a sip of water from my water bottle and walked back into the kitchen.

As I got their orders ready and headed off to their table to give them to them, Max passed by me a little too quickly and the tray shook causing me to be too focused on not dropping it to pay attention to the chair in front of me.

I banged into it, lost my balance, and fell flat on my back. The hot chocolate seared my skin as it rained down on me. The Christmas special (some sorta hot chocolate with marshmallows, whip cream, chips of peppermint, and a little 'snow' in it) splashed in my eyes. And of course, the peppermint mocha had to splatter all over my already-burned skin. Though most of it landed in a rather unpleasant place.

_I hate Christmas drinks._

**Yeah, well, no cool A/N today. It's early, I gotta go to school, and- oh Squirrel it! And on the third day of christmas December gave to Fang: Three Christmas Specials: Two hot mochas, and an angry Fang in a cafe!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	4. December 4th

**December 4th Tuesday**

"Hey Grandma, I drew this in Math, thought I'd give it to you." I said, sitting on the edge of her hospital bed. The walls were eerily white, and it smelled of antiseptic and dead people. Joyful, huh?

"Oh Nicky Darling! It's gorgeous!" Grandma said, motioning for me to get closer. I scooted up next to her and she engulfed me in a rib-crushing hug. But I didn't mind. Grandma looked down at the picture- as if memorizing every detail. "Honey, you are an artist in the making. Buy a frame for this, okay? I'll put it right here next to my bed." She added, patting the nightstand by her bed.

I grinned. "I'm glad you like it." I told her.

"Like it? Oh no, Nicky, I love it!" Grandma said and hugged me again.

…

I walked over to my fridge, pulling out a can of root beer and walking over to the TV, popping open the root beer as I sat down on the leather couch. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" I found myself screaming as root beer exploded every where. My couch was drenched, my hair was soaked, and my TV remote? Well let's jut say it's gonna be on the same channel for awhile.

I groaned and tugged my root beer flavored socks off, tossing them onto the tile floor before walking over into the kitchen and- Yippee!- tripping over my way too-long skinny jeans. I fell flat on my face.

When I finally pushed myself up into a sitting position after cussing out the floor and skinny jeans, I noticed the small puddle of blood and tentatively touched my upper lip. Crimson red covered my fingers and I cussed out the floor some more as I stood up, yanking off my wet shirt and grabbing a paper towel. I pinched my nose with it and looked up at the ceiling. "Why me?" I muttered, as if to answer, the doorbell rang.

"Go away!" I shouted, not really caring who it was.

"I have a key." The same sickly sweet voice I've heard everyday since she returned it seems, called to me.

"Get out of my house!" I snapped as Max walked into the kitchen and whistled.

"Boy, you've been working out." She muttered and I couldn't help but smirk a little. "But what did you do to this place?" She asked, peering all around at my messy kitchen. I sighed.

"December hates me." I mumbled and she walked over to me, pulling the paper towel away from my nose and sucking in a breath.

"Did December break your nose too?" She asked, and I felt her velvet hand touch my nose- then cringed in pain when she cracked it back so it wasn't crooked anymore. I forced a smile to my lips.

"So, why are you here?" I asked, continuing to hold my nose.

"I wanted that ring back." Max told me. "Since you cheated on me I figured I can get a few hundred out of it." She muttered taking my left hand and pulling the black ring off my ring finger. I grabbed her wrist and set the paper towel on the counter.

"You gave that to me- I'm keeping it." I whispered, prying the ring out of her hand and slipping it back on my finger. Max gave me her signature death glare and I glared right back.

"Fang, you're not seriously gonna play desperate puppy are you? You're the one who cheated." Max snapped.

"Max, we both knew long distance wouldn't work out- especially once school started-"

"And especially with your pressure problem." Max added.

"Yeah, but you can't seriously still be mad at me can you? Lissa broke up with me in August." I pointed out.

"Exactly- you didn't even break up with her. I gave you a week to end it, Fang. But you blew me off." Max said, for the first time in awhile showing the hurt and pain in chocolate eyes.

"Max, if I have to say I'm sorry a million times I will- just, please still be my friend. That's all I want for Christmas." I added. Max stared up at me- and I knew it killed her that I had had a growth spurt since we last saw each other and I was now six inches taller.

"You hate Christmas, Fang." Max whispered, never breaking our little stare down.

"But I love you." I muttered and Max blinked as if wondering if she had heard me wrong.

"I know." She finally said, looking down at her shoes. "Tell you what, I'm your best friend forever- that's never gonna change, okay? And next time I see you on the side of the road, I'll let you hitch a ride." Max added. I grinned my famous lopsided grin that had always been reserved only for Max. she giggled. Giggled! The world is coming to an end.

"So how's your Grandma doing? Any better?" Max asked. She was the only one who actually knew what was going on with that... problem.

"If anything, she's worse. The doctors says she won't make it past..." I felt the tears well up in my eyes and Max was hugging me before I even knew I was crying.

"Shh, it's okay, Fangles." She whispered, smoothing my hair back as I broke down sobbing into her hair.

"Sh- She w- won't m- make it Past N- New Y- years." I stuttered out, feeling like my world was ending because I had actually said it out loud and I realized how true that statement was.

"Fang, yes she will. Your Grandma is awesome, she'll miraculously heal, I know it!" Max said brightly, trying to cheer me up. I shook my head.

"M- Mirac- cles d- don't happen M- Max." I somehow sobbed harder and Max hugged my neck, with one arm, leading me over to the love seat and sitting me down. She sat next to me and let me sob into her shoulder, not once judging me.

Years later, it seemed, when I was down crying about everything, I looked up to Max. "Sorry." I mumbled at her tear-stained shirt. She smiled weakly and wiped a few stray tears away from my face.

"Fang, you know it's okay- I've drenched you before with my sobfests." Max joked and a watery laugh escaped my mouth.

"Thanks." I said, stroking her hair and playing with ends of it. Max intertwined out fingers together and kissed my cheek.

"This place needs some Christmas cheer." She whispered in my ear.

_I hate Christmas cheer._

**Yup, Fang's a hater. YUP IM A HATA! FLUFF YO CAR! Uh just... no. Anyways, hope you enjoy reading this during class ;) try not to get caught though!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	5. December 5th

**December 5th Wednesday**

I woke up to Christmas music blasting through my house. Sighing, I rolled out of my comfy bed and grabbed a bat to break the hell out of whatever was playing that dreaded ear-killing music. Only when I got downstairs, I saw max singing along- the kitchen cleaned up, the couch no longer brown with root beer juice, and a tree sat in the corner of the living room, a warm fire licking at the fireplace walls as if feeling for a way out.

"Where'd you get the tree?" I asked once I was right behind Max. She shrieked and spun around, punching my chest lightly.

"The hell Fang? Stop that!" Max snapped.

"Stop what? Breathing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"Shut up and help me decorate the tree. Your Grandma would not approve of this barren wasteland you call a house." Max muttered jokingly, grabbing a rolled-up set of lights and handing them to me. "You're taller, start wrapping them around the tree." Max said, ruffling my hair as I mumbled to myself, begrudgingly beginning to wrap the strand of lights around the tree.

"You know I hate Christmas." I told Max as I plugged the freshly-wrapped lights into an outlet.

"Yes, I do Mr. Grinch. But you'll learn to love it." Max added. "I think you'll especially learn to love mistletoe." She added.

I smirked. "Any of that around the house?"

"Nope." Max said cheerfully. I groaned and together we hung ornaments all over the tree.

Though when we got to the star, my heart stopped. "Remember that one Christmas you spent the night over here and my Dad lifted me up on his shoulders to put the star on the tree?" I asked, looking at the silver star that was bordered with gold.

It was worth so much money, and it was so beautiful. "Yeah. You told me it was like tradition, the youngest always got to put the star on the tree. And that's you." Max added, smiling sadly at the star that not only held my memories, but hers as well.

"Well, yeah, but you're younger than me." I said, glancing up at Max.

"But I can't reach the top, and you always put the star on the tree Fang. I know cause you told me every year how excited you were about it." Max added.

"Get on my back." I said absently, still examining the star.

"Fang you should-"

"Get on my back." I repeated. Max rolled her eyes but hopped on, and I handed her the star, walking closer to the tree. She reached up and set it down at the top. I grinned and looked up at the finished tree.

"You know Max, my heart's only grown one size- need to make it two or I'll ruin Christmas." I joked.

"Oh I will, Grinch Boy, believe me, I will."

…

Together we cleaned the house up, and decorated it, laughing and joking around until with a startled cry, I realized it was already three! Only three more hours of visiting time at the hospital! I ran into my room and yanked my pajama shirt off, just realizing I was still in my pajamas.

Quickly, I took a shower, threw on some clothes, brushed my teeth, ran a brushed through my hair and stumbled down the stairs, grabbing my keys off the counter and leather jacket off the recliner. "Where are you going?" Max asked, sounding casual.

"To see my Grandma before visiting hours are over." I snapped, running a hand through my hair in irritation. I had been in the house all day acting all happy while my Grandma was hooked up to a machine slowly dying! What kind of grandson am I?

"I'll come with." Max said and together we left my house and hopped into my truck. Driving off to the hospital.

The very first question that popped out of Grandma's mouth made me groan inwardly. "How was school, Nick?" She asked.

"Oh... school... right." I muttered just as Max walked in.

"You're lucky you're so smart I'm okay with you skipping a day." Grandma muttered before turning to Max. "Oh Max! Is it really you? My have you grown!"

"Hey, Grandma Walker, how are you feeling?" Max asked politely, coming to stand next to me.

"Oh fine, fine. How are you? I'd love to hear something fresh and new." Grandma said, waving off herself.

"Well, I'm doing good. Mom shipped me down here for the holidays so I'm working at the Cafe my dad owns and helping Mr. Grinch get into the Christmas spirit." Max added, gesturing towards me. Grandma laughed.

"I expect there to be a tree, correct?" She asked.

"Already done." Max smiled brightly and her and Grandma got into this serious conversation that lasted at least an hour before a very awkward question popped out of my Grandma's mouth.

"So, are you two back together? You always were such a cute couple." I doubt my face has ever gotten this red before- Max's was pretty pink too. She turned to me and smiled shyly.

"Uh... no. We're just friends." Max mumbled.

_I hate being friendzoned- And if Max would've never come home for Christmas I wouldn't have been._

**Hey guys, next chappie, review**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	6. December 6th

**December 6th Thursday**

What can I say about school? I hate it. Well, my first period is actually pretty cool I guess. If Theater counts as pretty cool. I sighed as some kids began their scene on the min stage in the classroom. Something about Jealousy- who cares. I wasn't paying much attention. Instead I doodled in my notebook, as group after group went by, waiting for mine to be called. And when it was, I freaked. It was bad enough I was the laughing stock of the whole school, but now I was gonna make it worse since I was playing the Angry little brother. Fun, right? Wrong.

If I messed up just one line the other guy in the group threatened to punch my face in- bottom line though, I hadn't practiced at all! Minus class time. I groaned and pulled myself to my feet, dragging myself to the stage and standing off to the side.

Let me set the scene: A girl I liked was going on a date with my big brother. The major part? He knew I liked this girl and still asked her out! Ugh! Where does the teacher come up with these scenes?

Well, why those two started off their dialogue- a convo at a cafe- I began to walk around the back of the mini stage and then forced a shock expression to my face when I saw them giggling together.

"Uh... bro, what are you doing?" I growled out and he snapped his head to me as I stepped onto the stage.

"What does it look like? I'm out on a date, dweeb." He snarled with so much venom it had to have a threat behind it.

"Yeah, with _my _girl!" I shouted, angry at this guy for threatening me two weeks ago when we got the scenes. Might as well take it out on him in a safe environment.

"Your girl?" Nudge snapped, sounding appalled. What a good actress one of my only friends was.

"Yeah. I loved you first!" I turned to Dylan. "And you! Not only do you ask her out! But you parade N- UGH! I can't even talk to you!" I shouted. Yeah, I had messed up. Almost called her Nudge. But even though Dylan noticed the mess up, Nudge was grinning shyly, as if I had done the smartest thing ever.

"Good, then you know, just shoo! Get away from my date." Dylan growled.

Nudge snorted. "Yeah, you homeless freak." She added.

"Homeless? I bet you're failing! At least I get good grades!" I yelled, a little mad at the truth behind Nudge's statement.

Dylan's turn to snort. "Oh puh-lease, Fang, you're failing every class you take." Dylan snapped, no longer going by the script.

"You don't know what I get." I whispered in a deadly calm voice. He shoved me. I shoved him back. Dylan swung and his fist connected with my jaw. I spun and fell to the ground from impact. Quickly, I slung my leg out and tripped him up, getting to my feet and wiping the blood off the corner of my mouth.

"I suggest you think next time before you hit me- I may not be all bronze, but I guarantee I could kick your-"

"Language!" Nudge chirped up.

"Any day." I finished, skipping over the word I was going to use. Dylan jumped up to his feet and side-kicked me in the chest before I could register anything. With an _oof _and a _thud _I realized two things. One: the wind was knocked out of me, and two: I had cracked the wall from hitting it so hard. But I didn't care, I just fell to the ground, trying desperately to suck in air.

My mind went blank as I broke out into a coughing fit, unable to breathe. Blood splattered the carpet and my world faded in and out. The teacher's voice sounded like a murmur as he yelled at Dylan. His feet were blurred so his shoes looked like black ink squirted on the carpet. And when he squatted down to look at me, he seemed to be moving so quickly left and right that he had two heads.

"Are you okay?" I heard- though it sounded like he was calling to me from miles away. I couldn't talk, I couldn't breathe, crimson continued to rain down on my view of life, but I still managed to nod weakly. Then, just when I thought I was going to get some air, lack of it caused me to see nothing but darkness, and I faintly remembered my head hitting the corner of a desk before I blacked out.

_I hate before-Christmas midterms._

**On the 6th day of Christmas December gave to Fang, six midterm tests- and that's all I'm doing right now. On the twelfth day the whole song will be here in the A/N don't miss out on that!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	7. December 7th

**December 7th Friday**

When I woke up, the smell of cake wafted into my room. My first thought: YUM! Cake! My second thought: Who the hell is baking cake in my house? My third thought- actually, I didn't have a third thought. Instead I groaned loudly as I slowly sat up, my head throbbing in protest. After standing and trekking to the closet which took way longer than it should've, I stumbled down the steps with a bat in hand.

"Fang, get your butt back in bed, Mister!" Max growled, glaring at me with a spoon in her hand. I gulped.

"You're... cooking?" I asked.

Someone snorted from the kitchen."No, I'm not that thick!" A familiar voice called and a half smile lit up my face as I ran into the kitchen to see if it was true.

"Sam!" I shouted happily, refraining from hugging Max's older brother who was by far the coolest guy I knew. He grinned.

"Hey Fanargoo, what's up?" This time, I refrained from punching him.

"Sam, don't ever call me that again." I muttered.

"Okay." He said, pulling a cake out of the oven.

"You're... baking?" I asked quietly, staring at the cake in awe.

"Max mixed the ingredients, I just put it in the oven." Sam corrected.

"Yup! Your birthday is today, after all!" Max added, hugging my neck and kissing my cheek.

"Oh joy." I mumbled, what fun today would be.

…

After the cake had been cooled down and iced I got the first slice. Yum! Well, after the first bite I tried desperately not to hack it all back up and instead forcefully swallowed it down and shoved a lopsided grin onto my face. "It's awesome." I said to Max's eagerly awaiting bouncing-on-her-heels figure. The way her face lit up... priceless. I could've died right then and there and I'd be happy knowing I made her smile that wide.

"Finish it off and I'll get you another slice!" Max said excitedly- since this was the first think she'd cook that was 'edible'

"Oh that's okay I'm..." My voice trailed off as her grin plummeted. "I'm already ready for that second slice!" I changed my sentence, deciding a couple bad pieces of cake was worth it, and so I chowed down. Eagerly, I forced every bite of cake into my mouth and even ended up having a third after getting used to the... unique taste.

"There's no way it's that good! Max used salt instead of sugar!" Sam cried as I went for a fourth slice.

"What?" Max snapped. "I thought you said it was sugar! Oh Fang! Why have you been choking that down?" She said, grabbing my fork away and taking a small bite of the cake, and immediately spitting it out into a napkin.

"That's true love right there." Sam said, poking the cake with the slicer as if it would jump up and scream "I'm Alive!" Any second now.

"God, I'm sorry." Max mumbled, looking to me with guilt in her eyes.

"Don't be, it was pretty good for salt cake." I said, and she smiled weakly, then turned to Sam.

"You told me it was salt!" She screamed, smacking him upside the head.

"I wanted to see if he seriously loved you! You're welcome by the way!" Sam growled, shoving his sister lightly.

…

I had just gotten home from school and visiting my Grandma and I was fully ready to go collapse on the couch and watch reruns of Full House when I noticed Max sitting on the couch in a black tank top and fluffy pajama pants with vampire fangs all over them. I remembered those. They're her favorite PJ pants. She was eating popcorn with a dark blue blanket wrapped around her shoulders and all the lights out.

"Whatcha watching?" I asked, collapsing next to her on the couch. She immediately turned _The Grinch _off and dragged me into the kitchen, dropping the blanket as she put her hair up in a tight ponytail.

"Nothing anymore, because we're gonna bake Christmas cookies for Santa!" Max said excitedly.

"Seriously? Santa?" I muttered in disbelief.

"Okay, for Sammmta then." Max corrected, patting my head before getting out a mixer and an ingredient card.

"Look, if you wanna get back with me, just say so, I don't wanna make Christmas cookies." I grumbled.

"Then your kitchen will most likely burn down in your sleep." Max threatened and I forced a grin to my face.

"Let's get started.!"

…

Getting the ingredients and mixing them up weren't a problem, until Max broke an egg over my head and I splashed milk over her. We got into an epic battle of foods, throwing flour, eggs, milk, and chocolate chips at each other. Then somehow I managed to get a hold of some cookie dough and smashed the gooey sweetness in her face. She scowled and licked her lips, then smiled.

"It taste awesome!" She exclaimed.

"Let me try." I muttered, and kissed her quickly- already knowing I'd get punched. "Yup, yum." I said finally, after trying to savor the little bit of strawberry flavor mixed in from Max's lip gloss.

"I'm trying to decide whether I should kill you with the beaters, or the spoon." Max said, reaching for a big wooden spoon. "I guess this will do." She shrugged then turned to me and I yelped and ran for it. I know, I know, big ole fang running from lil ole Max? Well, she knows how to kill a person seven different ways with a straw wrapper. STRAW WRAPPER! How can I not be slightly scared?

She chased me all through the house- we had a utensil fight. (Me with a big fork) "Oh! What? Afraid to fight with a spoon? You coward!" Max cried out as I ducked and stabbed her arm. She whimpered and smacked me upside the head with her spoon- for the seventh time.

"Give!" I called as she started hitting my arms, chest, and head with the stupid thing. Smiling brightly, she set the spoon down and we broke the dough up into balls after that fiasco, putting them up the baking sheet.

Carefully, I put them into the oven. "So, can I get another taste?" I asked casually. To answer, she smacked my arm.

...

After watching the last twenty minutes of _The Grinch_ (Even in that movie the dude gets the girl!) the timer ran off and I quickly ran into the kitchen, yanking the oven lid down. "Fang don't forget the..." Max's voice trailed off as I grabbed the metal tray. The _hot _metal tray, my fingers burned, and so on instinct I dropped it, sending freshly made Christmas cookies to the ground. Max laughed and pulled me over to the sink while I grumbled under my breath about hating hot trays.

"Fang, remember oven mitts next time, okay?" She said, turning on cool water and letting it run over my burnt fingers. I nodded bitterly.

_I hate Christmas baking._

**I'm so so sorry for not updating! I went to visit some family and I couldn't connet to their internet. I hope you guys forgive me. I was too busy to type up anymore so I only have this one and the 8th written up. I will be caught up this weekend if not in a couple days, promise.**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	8. December 8th

**I don't own MR**

**December 8th Saturday**

Sleeping in is my favorite part of holidays- and weekends. I slept till about nine before I crawled out of head, secretly wishing Max would be here, watching Thursday's recorded football game. Secretly hoping she was anywhere but in my house cause it would only make it harder. I sighed and stumbled down the stairs, my hopes fulfilled, my wishes crumbling to ash as I realized she wasn't here- and how bad I needed her to be.

The gears in my head groggily rotated, slow and choppy, dull and cobwebbed from the extra three hours I slept. Sniffling, I walked into the kitchen and got out the milk, a packet of cocoa mix, and a pot to make some hot chocolate. I know, I know you're thinking _but don't you hate Christmas drinks? _Well, yes. Yes I do. But hot chocolate has always been my guilty pleasure. I absolutely love it. Couldn't live without it. I drink it on the hottest days of summer, coldest of winter, and every day in between.

After my hot chocolate was done I drank it out of a coffee mug Max had gotten me as I joke that said 'World's worst drinker'. It was an inside joke between us ever since she dragged me off to a party and I got so drunk I sang karaoke, broke some things, trash talked the scariest kid in school (to his face) lost a couple teeth, danced in ways that are highly inappropriate, made out with a lamp, burned my tongue with the lightbulb, and woke up with a hangover that felt like beasts digging their way out of my skull. Most of the day after had been spent in the bathroom puking up everything that had gone in.

Max had video taped everything too. I knew for a fact she still had it on her phone because well, why would she delete something with so much blackmailing potential? Despite myself, I grinned a little bit at the mug and sipped out my hot chocolate while I walked out of the old house and into the cold, shirtless and only in basketball shorts. "Oh mail, what kind of bills do you have today?" I wondered out loud, opening it. Nothing. Thank God!

Smiling with happiness of no bills I walked back to the door and tried to open it- it didn't budge. Crap! "Alright, no biggie. Spare key." I told myself, lifting up the welcome mat only to find white cement. "I gave max the spare key." I mumbled, then reached in my pocket for my cell phone which was still on the charger in my room.

Grumbling to myself, I picked up a rock and smashed it through a window, making the hole just big enough to climb in and I went through, scratching myself up pretty good. Sighing for the umpteenth time that day I glanced out a window to see my stupid too-Christmassy neighbors adding even more decorations onto their house that looked like Christmas threw up all over it.

"Freaks." I mumbled, though I was the one who felt like a freak.

…

After taking a shower and pulling on some jeans, there was a knock at the door. I didn't answer. "Police! Open up!" A voice shouted.

"Burglar! Not opening up!" I shouted jokingly, thinking it was Iggy or maybe even Sam. Yeah well, after the door was kicked open and a real officer came in, screaming at me to get on the ground, I suddenly realized saying I was a burglar wasn't so smart.

"What did I do?" I snarled, not listening to the officer.

"You have the right to remain silent." Someone snapped.

"Oh, you're gonna read my rights, is that so? I haven't done anything wrong!" I growled out.

"Get on the ground!"

"Hands in the air!" Two different cops shouted at once. I calmly walked over to the kitchen and grabbed my coffee mug full of heart chocolate while the cops pointed their guns at me. I took a sip of it and drummed my fingers on the counter.

"I'll get on the ground when you tell me what you're arresting me for." I said with a steady tone.

"Breaking and entering!" One guy snapped.

"I live here." I said in a tone that would make the smartest guy sound stupid. "My name's Nicolas Ryde Walker, my parents owned this house before me and you have no right to arrest me for living her because I pay my bills on time, I've never so much as gotten a speeding ticket, and my parents weren't bad people." I added.

"Well, we need to take you in for questioning. An anonymous call was made saying they saw someone break into a window-"

"That was me. I locked myself out of the house." I said simply. That didn't stop them from handcuffing me and taking me in. And as I passed the Christamssy neighbor house- a satisfied smile on the woman holding the cell phone's face, I knew she had called the police.

_I hate my Christmas-crazy neighbors._

**I know I don't deserve it, but please review!**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	9. December 9th

**December 9th Sunday**

After spending half the night in an interrogation room, I had finally been sent home with a "Sorry for the misunderstanding" After they looked through all my records of course. I had given the officer a stiff nod and left, mumbling under my breath about how much I hated my neighbors. Now I sat on the couch, recalling the story to Max. telling her about every question they asked and what went through my head.

That was something I loved about her. I didn't usually talk a lot, but when I did, she listened. And she listened good. She seemed to gulp down every word I said like it was her last drink of water, last breath of life. And only when I was finished did she comment.

"That's a load of crap. I'm gonna give those neighbors a piece of my mind." Max snarled and stood up. I grabbed her hand and yanked her back down.

"No. they'll suffer. Trust me. I already got Igster on it." I assured, brushing my fingers through her brown and blonde hair. If it hit the light just right the blonde looked gold and the brown looked like rich chocolate.

Max sighed, snapping me out of my stare down with the strands. "I'm so sorry you were there. That must've sucked. At least you weren't in a holding cell. Those things are a bi-" Max's phone rang, cutting her off. "Yeah, okay, whatever, bye." She muttered then hung up, slipping her phone in her back pocket.

"Good news, Fangalator, Daughter-Ditcher is going to a party to get drunk, leaving us to get the Christmas tree." She said brightly.

"No." I said simply.

"Fang Nikki Ride, march yourself to your truck cause we are getting a tree. Today." Max growled. I rolled my eyes and just sat there stubbornly.

"No."

"I'll tickle you." She threatened.

"What do you know? I suddenly wanna help you pick out a tree!" I said, standing up. Unfortunately, Max knew my one weakness. Tickling. She grinned and stood up, smacking my butt.

"Get a move on DarkCloud!" She said brightly, recalling my 'My Little Pony' name from a quiz we took like two years ago.

"Whatever you say BossyDash!" Max had refused to take the quiz after forcing me to do it, so I made her own little 'My Little Pony' name. Max scoffed.

"How come you didn't flinch?" She asked, referring to smacking my butt.

"You do it all the time, Max, I'm used to it by now." I pointed out. She just shrugged and led me along to my truck.

"It's been awhile though. And I don't do it _all _the time. Just whenever we're speaking My Little Pony talk." Max corrected. "And you still have a hard butt." She added.

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, considering the way she said it.

"No, it means you probably still have the eight pack." She said, pulling my shirt up to see. "Yup, still there." She muttered and I smirked.

"You are so random." I muttered.

"You know you love me, Fangles." Max said, ruffling my hair up. I hated how much she made me smile. I'd already exceeded my word limit for the day with her. And my smile limit. I got in the truck and Max climbed in after me.

After my fifth attempt at trying to start the engine it cranked to life with a rumble of protest before we headed down the ice-slicked roads to the nearest Christmas tree farm.

…

"Max, they're all big, they're all green, and they're all the same. Pick one already!" I insisted, frustrated, cold, tired, hungry, and wanting to see my Grandma before the end of visiting hours. Max kept going from tree to tree, inspecting each and every one of them until she came across a possible one, then she examined it even closer than the rest, decided against it, and moved on. It went on like this for quite a few hours before a smile lit Max's face. She tugged on a branch of a tall, fat tree then turned to me.

"It's perfect." She said, and that grin made my insides melt. She looked like she had just won a prize.

"Alright, let's head on back up to the people and get a saw to cut this baby down and take her home." I suggested and started heading back from the way we came.

"Race ya!" Max shouted and took off. Me, being up for the challenge, followed after her at a quick pace. Back and forth both of us went, sometimes Max being in the lead, sometimes me. She beat me though, when I tripped and she didn't bother to stop when I yelled timeout.

It was okay though, cause we both were out of breath, cold, and happy as could be no matter who won. I breathed out that we had picked a tree to the guy and he nodded and we took a golf cart that way with an electric saw in the back. Max went on and on about how perfect it would be in Jeb's living room next to his beautiful fireplace. I smiled at the way she talked, radiating off a shine that was brighter than the sun's. In fact, my smile never wavered... until we got the tree that is.

A couple of guys were cutting it down and talking about how awesome it would look in their living room. "Um excuse me, but we just bought that tree!" I lied smoothly.

"Get another one." One guy said and I got out of the gold cart.

"No." I said, looking at Max's disappointed expression. She really wanted this tree. "We already bought it. So _you _find another one." I growled, shoving one guy away from the tree and glaring at him. He actually winced and kinda backed off, I didn't blame him. My glare even made Max flinch slightly every now and then.

"Who's gonna make us?" The other guy asked, shoving me.

"Want me to show you?" I growled, popping my knuckles.

"You can try." Another guy said.

"Three against one, so unfair." I said and roundhouse kicked the nearest guy in the head. He was down for the count. The other two came at me at the same time. I slid down in between them and jumped to my feet, banging their heads together as hard as I could. Of course, neither of them went down, but they were both dazed long enough for me to shove the tree, effectively breaking the halfway connected stump and watching it fall to the ground.

I looked up to see what Max was doing, she was paying the worker guy off so he wouldn't say anything. _Good girl, I taught you well. _I thought before throwing a left hook at the guy who had just turned around and charged me. Another one down. "3... 2... 1... WINNER BABY!" Max Screamed, smiling ridiculously at me before giving the guy an extra hundred.

I ducked as the other guy threw a punch and swiped his feet out from under him with my foot. He hit the ground hard. "And that's why I love you, Fangles." Max said. I blinked.

"So are you my girlfriend again now?" I asked, confused.

"Possibly. Get me that tree and we'll see where I hang up the mistletoe." Max said, shrugging. I smirked and dragged the tree into the basket connected to the back of the cart while Max snatched my wallet out of my back pocket and gave the guy one more fifty dollar bill. He was gonna hush for good or I'd smack him at this point.

"Fang-" Max didn't get to finish her sentence, or maybe she did, I wasn't sure. All I knew was there was a throbbing pain in the back of my head as I crumpled to the ground, blacking out.

_I hate Christmas tree shopping._

**Hey Guys, so sorry for not updating in forever. i was just trying to make it so the chapter didn't suck. I promise I'm gonna try really hard to finish this story before New Year's. Oh, and if you could give me some ideas for things to hate about Christmas I'd appreciate it. Love you guys~**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	10. December 10th

_**I don't own MR** _

**December 10****th**** Monday**

I woke up on my couch, Max passed out on my recliner. I guess I must've been hit pretty hard because when I checked my watch, it was the next day. I groaned, and got to my feet, then immediately fell back down clutching my head. I moaned in pain and curled up in a ball. "Max!" I said, throwing a pillow at her, she turned, fell off the chair and jumped to her feet in a fighting stance. Had I not been in agonizing pain I would've laughed. "Medicine please." I mumbled, clutching my head. Why did it hurt so much? What had happened?  
"Sure Fangles." She screamed at me and I held my head even tighter.

"No screaming." I muttered.

"I'm talking in my regular voice." She yelled and I felt like I had a hangover, every noise- from her footsteps to the swish of her pajama bottoms- seemed to be magnified by a million. She got me some medicine and I gulped it down with a glass of water.

"Thanks." I said, and pulled her down next to me, resting my head on her shoulder and yawning.

"No problem, babe." She said, slinging an arm around my waist.

"Babe? What happened before I got knocked out?" I asked.

"Oh you know, we got hitched." Max patted my chest and my eyes widened.

"What? No! That did not happen." I shouted, though I was unsure.

"Sure did- you got me this." Relief flooded through me when Max held up her hand, which had a ring pop on it. I licked it and smirked.

"Hitched with candy." I muttered jokingly, forgetting about my headache. Max stuck the cotton candy ring pop in her mouth and sucked it for a minute before taking it back out and offering it to me. I took it and licked it- I always felt awkward putting those things completely in my mouth. I mean, Max looked cute when she did it, but me...? Probably not so hot.

"So, what are we gonna do today, Fangarang?" Max asked, taking her candy back and crunching a big bite out of it.

"Well, I guess we should decorate the outside of your house." Sam said, walking through the front door and down the hall into the living room.

"I'm not getting on that roof." I muttered stubbornly.

"And why not?" Sam asked, casually walking into my kitchen. It was the strangest thing with him, but he was completely casual in someone's house. I mean seriously, it was insane. "What's the worst that can happen, you fall off and break you neck?" Sam suggested.

"Uh... yeah." I said dumbly.

"Want some hot chocolate, I want some hot chocolate. And you know what Fang, man up! I mean, come on, it's a roof. You're not afraid of heights- and don't even pretend you are." Sam said, somehow magically picking the right cabinet to get the mugs from.

"Sam, how do you know where those cups are?" I asked, a little unnerved.

"Who do you think dragged your butt here? I was still _sleeping _when Max called and said some jerk knocked you out with the handle of a chainsaw, but not to worry cause then she knocked him out with her fist. Half asleep, I drove to that tree farm, almost hit a squirrel! And had Max help me get you into the truck. I needed coffee. And to make everything worse... you don't have a coffee pot." Sam added, as if the world was going to end.

"I don't drink coffee." I said simply, walking over to the kitchen, my headache fading as I grabbed some chocolate syrup from the almost-empty fridge. I frowned at the emptiness.

"I gotta work today. What time is it?" I muttered.

"No you don't. Your boss called screaming about you being late _again, _so I explained to him what happened-"

"And I'm fired aren't I? Cause Max doesn't explain, she demands." I finished.

"Your boss is my dad, bro, I got you covered." Max said, ruffling my hair as Sam went to work mixing the syrup with milk.

"Ugh, I've probably been demoted to dishwasher boy." I muttered, walking towards the stairs that led to my room.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked. "We still need to decorate the outside!"

"I'm gonna take a shower. I'll help, don't worry." I said and headed into my room, slamming the door behind me.

…

"AAAHHHH!" I yelled out as I lost my footing... again. Sam grabbed my wrist and yanked me up to the top of the roof, rolling his eyes.

"Dude, you need some cleats or something, those converse have no tread whatsoever." He exclaimed, handing me one end of the lights.

"The roof is covered in snow!" I insisted, and Sam just rolled his eyes again and stood up, walking towards the other end of the roof.

"Just sit there and shut up!" He called. So I sat there and zipped my mouth shut, watching as he walked across the slick roof with a kind of grace I didn't see possible. I watched as he clipped the lights at one end of the roof.

"Clip the other side!" He shouted and I just nodded, standing up and turning around, slowly walking to the other end from the halfway point of the roof.

"You were in gymnastics, Fang, you can do this." I muttered, trying not to look down and think of a lot of red covering the white.

"Don't fall!" Sam yelled jokingly.

"Thanks." I said back sarcastically, no longer concentrating on my next step, and slipping. "HOLY HELL! IM GONNA DIE! IM GONNA DIE! IM GONNA DIE!" I kept screaming as I slid down the roof at a surprisingly fast rate. I clawed onto the snow for some sort of traction but instead just made my fingers numb.

Then I was passing the edge of the roof and falling to my death from a two story drop, plus the attic- so like three stories actually. I squeezed my eyes shut and just prayed it would be quick.

That's when a painful jolt ran through my leg and it took me a moment to realize I had stopped falling.

I opened one eye, then the other. My leg had gotten twisted in the string of lights. I scowled. "Get me down!" I snapped while Sam laughed his butt off and tried to take pictures that weren't blurry. As if on cue the lights began to unravel and I landed with a thud on the snowy ground. Max ran out of the house just then.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" She asked, running over to me and trying to help me up. I just nodded, my headache back and my body sore.

"Fine." I lied.

"No you're not. Sam! Stop laughing! He just fell off the roof!" Max shouted angrily, helping me into the house. "Come on, you need hot chocolate, and I'll get a fire going. You need some icy hot? That's a pretty long fall. Is your ankle okay?" I just shrugged. My mind was all jumbled. But one thought shone through clearly.

_I hate Christmas Lights._

**Bam! Chapter 10! Chapter 11 will hopefully be up in the next week. I really am sorry, first this was supposed to be finished by Christmas, then New Years, now I'll be lucky if I finish it before Summer Break. I just, you know, lots of school, writer's block, and I auditioned for a play so I won't be updating as often if I make it in cause practices are 4-6. Sorry for all the wait, I'll try to be quicker. Love you guys.**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	11. December 11th

**December 11****th**** Tuesday**

"Oh come on, Fang!" Max whined, clapping her hands together. "Please?" She asked. Sam chuckled and I groaned.

"Aren't you a little old to go see Santa?" I asked, pinching my nose in annoyance.

"You're never to old to go see Santa!" Max exclaimed. "He represents hope, and caring, and joy! It's my family tradition! Please Fang?"

"Go then, I wanna stay home." I insisted.

"No! You can't sleep for more than an hour and we could be gone for three or four! You have to come with us or you might fall into a coma!" It was the next day and every hour Max had woken me up last night since I had a wicked concussion. In a way I was grateful she cared about me enough to stay up all night to make sure I woke up.

On the other hand now she was dragging me to the mall to go see 'Santa.' "Fine." I sighed and grabbed the keys to my truck. We all headed out to it, me at the wheel, Max in the middle, and Sam took his own car.

…

"You know, this is one of my favorite songs." Max said, turning up _Radioactive _by Imagine Dragons and singing along. I cringed at her voice but smiled all the same. This was still my Max, the headstrong, horrible singer who always got her way.

"Oh come on Fang, sing, you always had such a great voice." Max added three songs later when _How you Remind Me _by Nickelback came on. I smirked.

"Couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing," I started, and sang the whole song with Max coming in on the chorus. Poor thing, her voice wasn't horrible, just… bad. Of course, anyone who made fun of her (Besides me) got a mouth full of my fist.

When the song was finished we laughed and there was this secret moment where she squeezed my hand and the pieces of my life started to glue back together, but then she let go, and it never finished assembling.

"Max, do you think maybe we could ever get-"

"Fang watch out!" Max screamed and I looked forward just in time to slam on the brakes and swerve two lanes to the right so I wouldn't hit the idiot stopped at an orange light. I scowled to myself, knowing then that the start of a very good day, was turning bad fast.

…

"Max! This line goes to Maine!" I whined as we got to the very back of the line to see 'Santa', which almost wrapped around the whole store. Sam smirked and shook his head. "I'm gonna go get some presents for Dad and Mom from us, okay? You and Fang hang out." And with that our merry crowd of three dwindled to two.

"You can not honestly believe I'm actually gonna wait in this line. I'm skipping school… again! For you and for what?"

"To see me happy?" Max suggested, using her chocolate eyes to make me melt in ways I will never admit to being possible.

I sighed and face palmed while Max squealed and turned back around to face the person's back in front of her. "You're lucky I love you." I whispered in her ear, resting my chin on top of her head.

"Yeah, I really am." Max told me, intertwining her hands with mine, making my heart go from _thump… thump… thump _to _thumpthumpthumpthumpthump_. It was disgusting, the effect she had on me, but I guess that's what love does to you sometimes.

"So, do you love me back yet?" I asked casually. "Cause you know, that's all I want for Christmas."

"Well then, you'll have to wait till Christmas to get your answer." Max turned her head and kissed my nose. "Think you can last thirteen more days?"

"I could wait forever for you, Babe." _I'll be lucky to last more than two days._

_\…_

"Max, if this Santa dude doesn't give you everything you ask for I'm gonna have to pummel him for making us wait this long." I growled, clenching my hands into fists as he took a 'break' two people before we got to him.

"Oh calm down, he just needs to cool off" Max insisted, waving me off nonchalantly.

"Cool off? HE'S BEEN SITTING ON HIS A-"

"Fang, there are children in the premises." Sam muttered, slapping a hand over my mouth. Mothers looked at me, seeming appalled by my outburst while fathers sent me warning looks and children stared curiously at the dark boy who had almost cussed out Santa.

"Fine. He's been sitting on his butt all day listening to requests for ponies and Dark Vader action figures, how is that tiring?" I hissed out through clenched teeth.

"Calm down, Fangles." Max mumbled, leaning against my chest and yawning. Max plus this kind of cuteness equals a love struck Fang. I sighed in irritation and tied my anger up, locking it away.

"I can not believe you just blew up, Fang. The last time you did something like that was…. If my calculations are correct, when you first met Max." Sam said, looking up at the ceiling and punching imaginary numbers into the air. "Yes, that's correct."

"Well that's only because of what she said about my grandma." I snapped, hoping this conversation wouldn't happen.

"I didn't know she was in the hospital then! Heck, I didn't even know _you _when I said that."

"And boy did you blow up." Sam muttered. "I've never seen a middle schooler take a swing at a girl like that until you."

"I knew I wasn't going to hit her. I was just scaring her a little." I insisted.

"Are you kidding me? If I hadn't ducked I would've been in the hospital!" Max exclaimed.

"But I knew you would duck because even though you didn't know me, I knew you."

"I don't even see how that's possible considering I live in another state but-"

"Jeb talks about you… a lot." I interrupted. "And I went to the shop a lot. And he talked to me a lot."

"You know, you're kinda like the son he never had." Max admitted to me, to which I smirked.

"Hey! Then what am I?" Sam asked.

"The boy still stuck in the closet who's more like the crazy uncle." I explained.

"I'm not in a closet! I have a girlfriend!" Sam snarled, getting defensive. I laughed quietly.

"Dude, chill. She's joking. We all know you don't roll like that." I patted his shoulder, still trying to somewhat hold in my laughter. Sam shrugged me off and mumbled something about cheese fries before walking off.

"Next!" A silky voice called out and Max eagerly walked up to 'Santa' and sat on his lap. Instantly though, I knew that this was a different guy than before. This was… Dylan. What? What was he doing here? Volunteering? Doing something… good? A smile slid on his face as Max sat on his lap and I crinkled my nose in disgust.

"I think I know what you want for Christmas." He said in a sly voice that made me gag. Max smiled and leaned in, whispering something in his ear. I groaned as a twitch formed on my fingers, causing them to clench and unclench with me having no control. I wish I would get a twitch that would punch that smirk off Dylan's Barbie doll face.

However, before I could even think about it, he kissed Max! _My _Max! The one that is mine! I'm in love with her, not him! She looked shocked, too shocked to respond. I growled and walked over, grabbing Dylan by his fake beard and yanking it down only for it to snap back with a loud _crack _that satisfied my ears.

He yelped and pulled his knees to his chest, causing Max to fall off of him and me to just barely catch her. "Perv." I snarled, still hugging Max close to me. It could've been my imagination… but did she just wink at Dylan. And did he… smile back? Say what?

I rolled my eyes and shook it off, setting Max on her feet and grabbing her arm. "Come on, let's get out of here." I muttered, pulling her away from the scene.

_I hate Santa… with a passion._

**I bet that confused a lot of you, huh? Well it was meant to. Why did Max really want to go see Santa? And what's up with the winking at Dylan? Please, take a guess! First one right gets to come up with the first line for Fang's 12 Day of Christmas song!  
**

**Soar on**

**VR**


	12. December 12th

**December 12th Wednesday**

I woke up to the feel of arms tightly secured around my neck and legs tangled with mine. For a moment, I laid there, completely content with the sweet smell of hot chocolate mixed with mint before fully comprehending someone was in my bed.

Slowly, I blinked my eyes open, only to come face to face with a sleeping Max. For a minute, I laid there in utter shock, trying to figure out if what I was looking at was really there. And in fact, yes it was. Max was laying next to me, tangled up with me, and it was one of the best feelings I had had in a long time. But how did this happen?

"_Max, I'm concussion free, go home!" I whined. It was four in the morning and this was what? The third time she's woken me up since I've fallen asleep?_

_"I'm just worried about you. You can go back to sleep now." She defended._

_"Don't wake me up again." I grumbled, before turning over and yanking my black sheets over my head, drifting off into sleep once more._

_However, Max must've not understood cause a couple hours later I felt her hands on my arm as she shook me to life._

_"I'm alive, leave me alone." I growled out, or thought I did anyways._

_"Fang!" Max called in a sing-song voice._

_"What?" I snarled._

_"Fang?" Max asked, panic dripping into her voice._

_"That's not funny." I muttered, but it almost felt like my mouth wasn't moving._

_"Oh my god! Wake up! Please wake up! Fang get your butt up!" She was shaking me harder now, and I tried to open my eyes, to see her, to push her away, but I couldn't move. it was like I was frozen solid, in a state that wasn't conscious or unconscious. Just a terrifying in between where I couldn't do anything._

_For days, it seemed, I willed myself to wake up as Max screamed at me and shook me around like a rag doll. When I finally opened my eyes, when I finally shoved her off of me and onto the floor, I could see the tears she had been trying to hold back. "Sorry." I mumbled, this time actually talking. _

_She just stared at me, happiness feeling her terrified eyes as she got to her feet and tackled me in a hug. "You scared me," She whispered._

_"I'm sorry, Max, really I am. I woke up when you came in, but I like, couldn't move." I tried to explain as she hugged me tighter._

_"Just don't do that again," She demanded._

_"I won't." I promised, though I really couldn't._

After that I had fallen back asleep with Max in my arms, and I guess she must've fallen asleep too, cause here we were, together, just like we were supposed to be.

I rested my forehead against hers, closing my eyes, forgetting everything but her. This was how I wished I could wake up everyday. The only thing that could make this better was if my Grandma was out of the hospital and walked in on us cuddling and made one of those jokes that we could laugh for years about.

"Fang, I'm sorry about yesterday." Max whispered, her voice shattering my fantasies and dragging me back into the real world.

"Huh?" I asked, opening my eyes and looking into her chocolate ones.

"Kissing Dylan I mean. I shouldn't have done that." She muttered.

A sudden flash of anger stormed through my veins. Last night's little moment with Max wasn't the only thing I remembered. I also recall Sam telling me why Max had kissed Dylan, and with that thought in my mind I abruptly got out of my bed, glaring at her.

"Damn right you shouldn't have!" I growled out. Max's eyes widened in shock as she sat up, trying to understand why i was so mad at her. "I can't believe you, Max! I pretty much rip my heart out of my chest and give it to you and you repay me by testing me? What the hell?" I snarled.

"Um... what? How'd you... Sam. I'm gonna kill that boy."

"Not if I kill you first!" I exclaimed, taking a breath. "I really, I just... of all the ideas you've had that was the stupidest!"

"You've cheated on me once, how am I supposed to know you won't do it again?" Max yelled, throwing a pillow at me. And of course, me being me, threw it right back at her.

"Don't you dare turn this on me, Max! And you know what? That shouldn't even matter anymore! I love you! I've told you that multiple times, I've proven it multiple times! I've done things for you I wouldn't do in a million years for anybody else!" I insisted.

"Well you still cheated-"

"Once! With a stupid girl who didn't know her left from her right! Please Max... Just get over it!"

"I can't get over it Fang! You went behind my back and-"

"Do you smell that?" I asked, interrupting her thought. Max glared at me, but paused to sniff the air.

"Yeah, I lit a fire in the fireplace last night," Max shrugged it off as if it was no big deal.

:You do realize that the fire would've gone out by now if it only had the logs you put in there to fuel it, right?" I asked, heading out of my room and looking over the banister. "Holy crap! Max!" I shouted in annoyance, taking off down the stairs. Flames enveloped the christmas tree, half of the couch, and was slowly spreading towards the kitchen.

"Oh my god!" I heard Max shout as I rummaged through cabinets, drawers, and closets for a fire extinguisher as Max sped down the stairs into the kitchen. She began filling buckets up with water and throwing them on the raging inferno, only managing to injure it slightly.

Bright oranges and yellows slithered around, gripping onto whatever they could as I finally grabbed ahold of the extinguisher and fumbled with the black handle thingy. Finally, I got it working and sprayed my whole living room, including the tree and fireplace until it was drenched in the foam. "What started it?" Max asked as I carefully took the star off the burnt tree we had gone through so much to get.

I kicked some foam around and looked into the fireplace, glaring at the red fuzz with white trim. "It was a christmas stocking." I growled.

"Oh Fang! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"Max it's okay. You didn't do this purposefully, breaking my heart on the other hand..." I let my voice trailed off for her to think.

"Fang?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry... for everything." She whispered.

"It's okay." I decided, besides, it's not like I hate her.

_I hate Christmas stockings though._

**I don't own MR**

**I didn't edit this, which may or may not be obvious. Im tired, therefore there will be no 12 days of Christmas song this chapter**

**Soar on**

**VR**


End file.
